Christmas gift from Phil Burgess (1 Viewer)

Phil remains one of the shining lights in the building in Glend----err San Dimas. If his peers in the building were as hard working and enterprising as Phil, the pro's would be running for $100,000 to win, a huge bucks specialty race and a million at the end of the season. The breadth of this man's work over the past 4 decades is awe inspiring. This guy punches way over his weight. I am hoping he compiles his columns into the definitive history of our sport, along with the High Performance book by Dr. Post. Hey Big, this dude needs to be in your Hall of Fame.

The coolest thing about Phil is he answers your email.
 
I first met Phil way back in the early '80s when he took over National Dragster. Interacted with him a few times as he was getting his seat time for licensing in the Mazi Opel in 1984. He has got to have more connections and phone numbers to almost ALL of the NHRA stars of yesterday, today and future years. The best part is THEY will answer his call evrytime. His Insider Column is one I always look for in ND every week - now monthly- when I get mine in the mail. His knowledge and writing talent is one of the best, if not THE best in all of drag racing today! Keep it up Phil!
 
I was just reading the article on the Christmas Tree. It says the three amber tree was unveiled in 1986. But OCIR, an NHRA sanctioned track at the time, had a hanging 3 amber tree several years before it closed in October of 1983. However, whenever NHRA ran the World Finals there, the hanging three amber tree was taken down and NHRA'S 5 amber tree was placed on the ground just for the event.
 
Wasn't the first Tree debuted at Indy in 1962??? And Garlits red lighted.... Nobody liked the Tree at first. Lions had the "Leavers Loose" system, kind of a short hanging tree. in the '60's. I think at least one fueler tagged it with a wheelie.
 
I was just reading the article on the Christmas Tree. It says the three amber tree was unveiled in 1986. But OCIR, an NHRA sanctioned track at the time, had a hanging 3 amber tree several years before it closed in October of 1983. However, whenever NHRA ran the World Finals there, the hanging three amber tree was taken down and NHRA'S 5 amber tree was placed on the ground just for the event.
For years AHRA used just one amber, the green and the red on the tree. Check out the picture from 1977.
The video is from 1985, go to 3:30 for a nice close up of the tree. Went there 1978, 1980, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86
for the AHRA World Finals at Spokane, great times what I can remember Yikes. Glad I took pictures.

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The track sold buckets of beer, as the day went on both sides would have a pyramid building contest. The year is 1985

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jim irvin: your attached youtube from spokan race.
1) that video is awesome.....yes, very unique tree.
2) wonder if souvenoir guy around 11:25 ever got to meet that female racer
3) where is barbara lee today?
 
jim irvin: your attached youtube from spokan race.
1) that video is awesome.....yes, very unique tree.
2) wonder if souvenoir guy around 11:25 ever got to meet that female racer
3) where is barbara lee today?
1) Yes it is, World of Pro Drag Superstars, it was only around for a couple of years
1984, 1985 maybe 86. It was on Saturdays at 8am hear in the Northwest, good stuff.
I have most the shows on VHS tapes, does the tapes still play? They also did the drag boat races.
2) The souvenoir guy know idea...LOL. Saw Connie and Don a couple of times that weekend
no race cars, working tv.
3) Have know idea what happen to Barbara Alexander or Phil Harper. they did a good job.
Only thing that bug me, was Phil would say burnin and not burnout.

Here are a couple of shows
 
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Wasn't the first Tree debuted at Indy in 1962??? And Garlits red lighted.... Nobody liked the Tree at first. Lions had the "Leavers Loose" system, kind of a short hanging tree. in the '60's. I think at least one fueler tagged it with a wheelie.
Hi Cliff,
It was one year later, at the '63 Nationals. That was the same year ABC's Wide World of Sports began to telecast the race.
Bobby Vodnik driving the Hirata-Hobbs dragster won Top Eliminator after Garlits' red light. Despite allowing fuel at '63 Winternationals (won by
Garlits' winged dragster) NHRA still enforced the fuel ban at Indy so it was a gasoline-only race. Ohio George told me that the local racers were at an
advantage because they got to practice w/ IRP's Christmas tree weeks before the Nationals. Savvy drivers learned they could leave as the last yellow went off instead of waiting for the green. And yes, the first issue of Drag Racing Magazine had an article where the top name racers complained about the new fangled Christmas tree! The best racers learned to read the flag man's body language and the tree eliminated that edge.
 
Hi James. Long time no hear. :) When I first started going to the drags, I remember the flag man at San Fernando. He didn't do any fancy jumps or all that, just waved the flag. Do remember drivers studying the flag man so they knew when he'd flip the flag. Also stories about the 2 cars being lined up close together, so that when they left the line, they came close to hitting the starter, especially if they got sideways. Being the starter could be dangerous. Ask Larry Sutton about that. argh
 
1) Yes it is, World of Pro Drag Superstars, it was only around for a couple of years
1984, 1985 maybe 86. It was on Saturdays at 8am hear in the Northwest, good stuff.
I have most the shows on VHS tapes, does the tapes still play? They also did the drag boat races.
2) The souvenoir guy know idea...LOL. Saw Connie and Don a couple of times that weekend
no race cars, working tv.
3) Have know idea what happen to Barbara Alexander or Phil Harper. they did a good job.
Only thing that bug me, was Phil would say burnin and not burnout.

Here are a couple of shows

Hi Jim,
I was wondering if you have the Top Fuel show from this 1985 Spokane World Finals in VHS ? When you have time, maybe drop me a line at [email protected]
 
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